Future Feeders Blog

Stage 2 of our worm farm experiment. We now have introduced two new species of worms to our worm collection. In individual bath tubs we have now established three separate colonies of worm in an effort to explore their different characteristics; including breading rates, efficiencies at composting materials and outputs.Composting worms can eat up to their own weight in food each day. They actually eat the bacteria growing on the dead organic matter. Bacteria usually causes unpleasant odours but in a worm farm the worms keep it in check so there is no smell. The term Composting Worm relates to the fact that these particular worms only burrow down in the top 300mm of soil. Red Wrigglers (Eisenia Andrei) and African Night Crawlers (Eudrillus Eugeniae) and Indian Blues (Perionyx Excavatus) are all well suited for warmer climates.

AFRICAN NIGHT CRAWLERS (Eudrillus Eugeniae)African Night Crawlers lay eggs at about the same rate as the Reds but take 2 weeks to hatch. They take 2 months to mature and start to reproduce. They are also about 3 times longer and thicker than the Red Wrigglers and only take up to 6 to 8 weeks to reach 150mm to 200mm long. Africans live for about 2 years. They are the worm of choice for home composters who love fishing. They can eat up to 3 times more organic material than Red WrigglersWe got ours from : www.briansworms.com

INDIAN BLUES/BLUEYS (Perionyx Excavatus) Also known as Spenceralia, an Australian native, this worm species is the fastest breeding worm in general composting use (1 worm will produce 18 worms per week under ideal conditions). This worm also eats faster than any other worm we have come across. If you want to convert organic waste into worm compost in as short a time as possible, then you can't beat this worm. On the downside this worm prefers warmer climates and is likely to crawl from its bedding if conditions are not right for it. The Indians can grow up to 150mm long.